Dark Timber Elk?

[wisconsinteacher]

Well, turkey season is coming to a close so now I can really focus on elk and prepping for my first time hunting them. Last night I talked to a guy who has hunted them for years and he said that hunting in the dark timber is a good way to get one. In my mind, I had it that the hunt would be a lot of sitting and glassing draws and openings but he said that limits your hunt to an hour at sunrise and sunset which makes sense. He said to get in their bedroom and go slooooow and glass for an ear, eye, tan patch or antler tip.

I get the theory but it is not what I have imagined, so I come here asking for tips and tricks to hunting elk in the timber and making the most of my time in the mountain to get a crack at an elk.

 

[HAWKEYESATX]

First question:

Is it a guided or unguided hunt?

Sent from my LG-TP450 using Tapatalk

 

[Guy Miner]

Lots of variables. I'm certainly not even close to being as experienced with hunting elk as some here, but a few thoughts:

Yes, like other game animals, they're often found early or late in the day.

In September, during the rut, the bulls can be called in! This is absolutely incredible!!! My 6x6 bull was taken that way. We scouted for a couple of days before the season, located some elk. Early morning on opening day, before light, we silently hiked near where we'd seen the elk, then started to bugle. Within a very short time we had two bulls answering us and I shot my bull that morning at about 180 yards. I was back in the trees, he was out in the open.

Some of the most successful elk hunters I know, spend a lot of time at night, walking dirt roads quietly, and calling time to time, trying to locate elk, then go in after them at first light. This takes a lot of endurance, 'cause the hunters end up being awake and moving/hiking, for many hours. But - those buddies of mine take a lot of elk that way!

Are you after a big ol' wall-hanger rack? Can be a different hunt than for a young "spike" bull or for a cow.

Tell ya, I'd hunt cow elk every year if I could. The hunt was fun, challenging, and the meat delicious. But I can always just look across the room and see the big ol' set of antlers we came out of the Wind Rivers with 18 years ago... That is a nice feeling and brings back great memories.

My cow elk hunt was surprisingly tough, not far from home here in Washington. It was a late-season hunt. Winter weather had moved in. I used the Jeep and a LOT of hiking and glassing to finally figure out where the cow elk had gone. Then it was a long stalk through the snow & sagebrush. Finally got to about 340 yards of the herd, ran out of cover. Settled into prone, rested my 30-06 over the backpack and shot. Had LOTS of help getting her down to the waiting truck too. Most excellent! That was pretty much classic spot and stalk, except I hunted almost all day every day, because it was cold and the elk were moving all day.

Dark timber - I've hunted it a bit for them - no luck yet. I have worked my way right into the center of an elk herd by just gliding along quietly in the timber... It was pretty cool. But I didn't get a shot. I'd like to try that again.

Gosh - now you've got me all excited about elk hunting this morning!

Guy

 

[Guy Miner]

September rut-hunt bull 18 years ago... Ha, I looked younger then. Imagine that! Bull was shot pretty early in the day. Before 9:00 for sure.

Late season, Nov/Dec, cow hunt, 2016. Cow was shot about mid-day. The herd was bedded down and I stalked close enough for a shot.

I've hunted elk quite a few times without success, sometimes in the "dark timber" but these photos were from my two successful elk hunts. I'm slowly learning. This year, trying with the bow instead of a rifle, so I'll be in the woods again, working for the short range shot.

Regards, Guy

 

[Gunner46]

I imagine it's a lot like trying to sneek up on a low country whitetail/pig/bear. Wind will kill any of your chances of ever even seeing one. If it's not in your face, or at least sideways, your screwed. QUIET boot soles.

Go so slow your feet hurt from just standing and listening.

Oh Yea, Listening. Hunt with your ears in front of of your eyes.

I know a lot of people will tell you to go 'Big Bore' but in reality full penetration will serve just fine.

You'll probably not ever get a full animal sight picture. Learn to understand what part your looking at and take the shot/or not appropriately.

Good Luck.

 

[HAWKEYESATX]

Well, turkey season is coming to a close so now I can really focus on elk and prepping for my first time hunting them. Last night I talked to a guy who has hunted them for years and he said that hunting in the dark timber is a good way to get one. In my mind, I had it that the hunt would be a lot of sitting and glassing draws and openings but he said that limits your hunt to an hour at sunrise and sunset which makes sense. He said to get in their bedroom and go slooooow and glass for an ear, eye, tan patch or antler tip.

I get the theory but it is not what I have imagined, so I come here asking for tips and tricks to hunting elk in the timber and making the most of my time in the mountain to get a crack at an elk.

Ok, so you'll be in the mountains during elk season.
Bugling is the easiest and surest way of finding where they are.
Most of the terrain where they are going to be is going to rough, and high up, unless their is enough snowfall to push them down to lower elevations.
Mountain hunting isn't easy, but is totally worth it, especially when going after such a magnificent animal.
You can find clear cut spots, and bugle and have them come in to you.
Nothing like a hearty hike up the side of a mountain, finding a good spot that has some clearing, and bugle away. They should come to you.
If not, then that's when you'll be slow stalking in deep timber for them. As the other poster said, look for tails swishing, ears moving first, then head turning.
If you're not into bugling, then I would suggest getting an electronic game caller that has elk bugling on it.
Some of the fastest ways I've had deer and elk come in to me was by blowing a rabbit in distress call while coyote hunting. They seem to key in on that call as well, along with coyote.

Sent from my LG-TP450 using Tapatalk

 

[IdahoCTD]

It's much harder to sneak on elk in the timber but it's not impossible. Elk are typically quite vocal unless they have experienced a lot of hunting pressure. This is true during all times of the year, not just the fall. They are also quite noisy when they are walking around. Listening is typically more important then seeing until you get close. I shot my first bull out of the timber last year and he, along with a couple other bulls, were bugling on Oct. 16th. They feel pretty safe where they were. Learn a cow call more then a bugle. Bugles are harder to master and if they are just calling to communicate you can blow elk by out over calling or with the wrong call. You can use bugles to locate elk from a distance but over the years I've had better luck cow calling. Most people over call with a cow call too. I actually forgot my cow call and just snuck up on that bull by listening to them and watching. If you blow them out sit down for an hour, let them calm down, and track them down. Once you blow them out they will watch their back trail closely but you have tracks to follow so locating them is easier now.

Elk are extremely habitual and are really easy to kill when you learn what they like and learn their habits. It requires a good deal of effort too but outsmarting them typically requires less physical effort. I say that but both the elk I killed last year were a PITA to pack out. Both were up hill pack outs. That is another thing....don't overlook areas because it looks impossible to pack one out. Two guys can pack a elk out in a day or two from the worse places you can imagine. It just requires effort. That effort is why 10% of the elk hunters kill 90% of the elk. BTW a small raghorn bull boned out is only about 110-130lbs of meat plus the head. A bigger mature bull is around 150-170lbs plus the head. Some really big bulls will go well over 200lbs of meat but most likely that isn't what you'll run into. Split between 2 guys that is typically only 50lbs max per load for 2 loads. We packed out 2 bulls last year in one trip for 2 guys and another bull split between 3 guys. 2 were up hill and one was mostly down hill. With the weight of our packs we were up in the 90-100lb range on the 2 bulls split between myself and my hunting partner.

 

[Dr. Vette]

I get the theory but it is not what I have imagined, so I come here asking for tips and tricks to hunting elk in the timber and making the most of my time in the mountain to get a crack at an elk.

My recommendation -

Watch every possible episode of Randy Newberg going on an elk hunt. He's now on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQOcUD ... -_4JJBLYyg

Watch his YouTube videos on e-scouting for elk as well as elk scouting in general.

Join in his Wednesday night discussions (usually via Facebook, but I think also on YouTube) regarding elk hunting. Even if you only watch them in the background like I do, you will learn enormous amounts.
He is an ethical hunter and an excellent teacher. I can't think of a better way to learn - for free - how to elk hunt, especially as a flatlander like you and me.

Oh, and FYI, I've shot an elk in mid-day once, but it was when it was bumped by my guide who was intentionally trying to move something. I have yet to see one in the "dark timber." As has been noted, the first and last of the day are usually your best bets.

 

[Guy Miner]

Randy knows his stuff re elk hunting!

Good info here.

Idaho CTD - that danged 6x6 of mine yielded almost 300 pounds of meat after the butcher shop was done cutting it up! He was a big boy. Named "Gorgeous George" by my mentor who called him in.

Guy

 

[salmonchaser]

Cow call, definitely. As noted don't over do it. I'll work a long ridge at first light, eventually you'll have to slide into the timber, or take a nap. I don't know how many times I've busted elk on my first few steps in. I slide in just a little and then a soft cow call. Be ready, they could be right there.
In our A/O there is thick timber on the north slope, grass or thin timber on the south. I'll come down off the ridge until I'm able to over the tops of the trees growing in the bottom of the draw. I'll sit there studying through the trees.
If you're pushing through the timber look for hidden short ridges. I've often sat on those and seen elk mid day. They actually provide good escape routes from hunters pushing in.
When you're in the timber keep your rifle in your hands.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[salmonchaser]

I think the man from Idaho is stronger than he realizes. A couple of big spikes I've shot had rears that weighed 70 to 80 pounds, bone in cut off at the knee. Ive only weighed a couple. I've boned some out but mostly prefer to carry the extra 10 pounds. The cow I shot last fall had rears that weighed 85, she was the smaller of the two that gave me an opportunity.
I'll generally pack the rears by themselves, the fronts and backstraps, rib meat go together. It's a load, probably about the same as the rear.

In my A/O it's always up hill to the road.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[salmonchaser]

The area I hunt has the alternating timber and open ground. I'll run like hell if I bump elk so I can catch them as they single fill up the hill. That only works sometimes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[wisconsinteacher]

Thanks for the info and keep it up.

I'm looking at shooting any bull and after the first 2 days, I will shoot any decent sized elk (no calf). As far as hunting, it will be me and my brother in law hunting on a general tag in WY. We plan on hunting the first week of the season as of right now but that can change if needed.

It will be during rifle season.

 

[Europe]

Salmonchaser has made three excellent posts and points.

Whether hunting Apache reservations in Arizona on foot or the mountains of Montana by horseback, Elk hunting is a true labor of love. Frustrating and Exhausting.

Elk hunting is always in the top five when folks ask which species is hardest to hunt in North America. I personally believe the Himalayan Snowcock hunts in Nevada were the absolute toughest, but Elk and Coues deer were also vey challenging hunts. If successful Coues deer are easy to carry out LOL

I can not offer anything that has not already been said by other forum members with the possible exception of following up on the point Salmonchaser made. When your in the timber keep your rifle in your hand AND practice shooting offhand

 

[salmonchaser]

Conditioning. That's relative but you'll kill more elk with a rifle that groups three inches if you're in great shape then you will with a rifle that groups 1/4 MOA. I know two guys who can and do run elk down after they've bumped them. They're obviously the extreme. Elk country can be extreme. You sweat working down hill sometimes. I've watched guys coming up some of those ridges, blowing hard looking at their toes, not see a heard of 30 animals get up in front of them and move off.

 

[IdahoCTD]

I think the man from Idaho is stronger than he realizes. A couple of big spikes I've shot had rears that weighed 70 to 80 pounds, bone in cut off at the knee. Ive only weighed a couple. I've boned some out but mostly prefer to carry the extra 10 pounds. The cow I shot last fall had rears that weighed 85, she was the smaller of the two that gave me an opportunity.
I'll generally pack the rears by themselves, the fronts and backstraps, rib meat go together. It's a load, probably about the same as the rear.

In my A/O it's always up hill to the road.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Your right I forgot those weights were without the back straps and tenderloins. We cut those up ourselves last year. Last year was the first time in forever that I had someone else butcher my stuff. We took 5 bulls to the butcher and 3 (all 3 were dink bulls. a 4x4, tiny 5x5, and my spike x 6pt.) went 115 to 125ish boned out without the straps and loins and the other 2 (bigger 6x6 and my 5x7) were 155-165. Certain areas have much bigger elk then others. The 7x7 bull I shot 2 years ago was the biggest elk I'd ever seen dead. He had neck meat that weighed as much as a smaller elk front quarters. The straps were near the size of our Shiras moose. Luckily the pack was down hill or we would of had to make 3 trips each. We took the hind quarters on the bone first and the front end,straps, loins, and horns second. My buddies pack was so heavy I couldn't lift it on the second go. He usually hauls more then me because I haul the horns and he is 5 year younger and 40+lbs heavier then me. I bet his pack was 130+lbs. I thought the straps were going to rip on his pack when I helped him get it on.

Your right the weight of a elk is about 3 equal parts. Each hind quarter and the front quarters/straps/neck/etc. I almost never do bone in because I shoot elk in crappy spots every year but they are consistently in those spots and quite predictable.

Like Salmonchaser said.....most of the south slopes in the western states are more barren with a lot of open ground among sporadic timber and the north slopes are quite thick in comparison with very few openings. I've also run like crazy after jumping elk to get a shot off. I did it a few years ago when I jumped about 100 elk in the breaks of the Salmon River. I saw a really big bull run over a finger ridge below me so I took off after him. I never did get a shot at him as he ran around a huge rock pile and I never saw him again. I've chased down/tracked tons of elk. The key is to not push them too hard initially. Let them calm down for an hour or more and you can usually get in on them fairly easy. We bumped a cow last year, sat down for 30+ minutes, and walked right into the herd again within 5-600yds. That was the 5x7 I killed. I could actually still hear them breaking branches and cow calling the whole time we sat down.

 

[Elkman]

This is really a hard one, and two really successful, younger, and dedicated hunters preceded me. It so much depends on how the country lays. CTD described the country I have spent most of my life hunting in. BUT, strategy's change depending upon the landscape. If your area is 90% timbered you have few choices, but you still have to be smart and hunt where the elk are. You can waste lots of energy blindly hiking through the downfalls and jackstraws that Lodge pole Pine loves to create for you. If you can get up high or across canyon your best tactic is to glass and locate then proceed with a plan. I have killed elk at all hours of the day but the first two and last two hours are the best. We are always glassing and looking as we travel the trails and looking for sign. I would shoot the first legal animal that gives me the opportunity. I have heard many stories about locating elk but not taking a shot, and find later that they moved to a different county. Fitness is probably more critical than accuracy as Salmon seeker alluded to, if you can't get to them, your weapon is worthless. Most elk hunters wish they were in better shape as soon as they get in the woods. Just the ramblings of an old man.

 

[Blkram]

Elk hunting is a science unto itself, and no two elk hunts are successful in the exact same way.
You can use all of the tactics mentioned above with, and without success.
Do not be afraid to change tactics when the one you are using is not working.

Most important point is watch that wind!
You can fool their eyes and their ears; but you will never fool their nose!
Know your prevailing winds in a given area, watch the thermals, and be prepared for valleys and draws that funnel wind/breezes in the opposite direction than the norm.

Bugles are great to locate herds that are not over-pressured pre-rut, and can work during the rut. Cow calls usually work better when working in on the herd or drawing bulls out, but may not when he has a hot cow. I find a couple of bugles and hot cow calls work great in the period two weeks past the peak of the rut when the bulls have left the harems and are cruising for that cow in her second estrus cycle that did not take during her first. Be sparing if they are not overly talkative, and be watchful for that satellite bull that may sneak in quietly looking for you as you call. Ensure that you are safe to move on all fronts before moving, I have been caught enough times to know that they may take 10-15 minutes to come quietly in after you stop calling, especially when you are back in the woods close to their bedding areas.

I also change cow calls and bugles every day or two if hunting the same herd and/or bull, and keep one cow in heat call for only those instances where I need that bull to commit to those last few yards for a clean shot.

Know the local watering spots and best food sources in the area, and the best bedding areas close by that they are going to be using, depending on the local topography, wind and cover types.

Be prapred to move and respond to the bulls responses and actions.

The best tactic when calling is as a team, with the caller 50-100 yards behind and to the crosswind side of the shooter. And if you have a Montana decoy, spray it down with cow in estrus scent, and have the caller give it motion. A bull is going to hang up when he cannot see what he is hearing and/or smelling as he comes in and should be seeing that cow that is enticing him.

If the elk are back in the dark timber bedded for the day, they will periodically get up to reposition, eat for a few minutes or answer the "call of nature". Move slow, if you are in close, in sporadic movements, even pulling some grass here and there to mimic a feeding elk, making a soft cowor calf mew now and then. Never move longer distances in a straight line or constantly. This keeps them hearing natural sounds like that of other elk just out of their sight, that they expect to hear.

But most of all, have fun! It is an exciting game that you are going play, that will teach you all sorts of tricks that may not expect or have imagined...it is the best school out there!

 

[salmonchaser]

Of course there is always the wood cutting ruse. Don't know how many there were or how long they were there. I was cutting firewood last week, ran out of fuel and looked around. About 60 yards away.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Guy Miner]

Nice...

Ya, it's funny how elk and other animals we hunt can often tell when we're just going about routine chores.

Checking fence lines. Cutting wood. My buddy had been working on the roof of his cabin for a few days. The deer got used to him being up there pounding nails. Eventually he was able to shoot one from the roof!

Guy